MOTF Book II: Ascension Chapter 2

Jaira and her master Nalaniel sat in the courtyard of the Jedi temple, each eating an emerald mango from the tree in the center of the courtyard. Jaira marveled at the sweet tanginess of the fruit as it rolled across her tongue. This was Jaira’s first time in the Temple’s courtyard, and she had never been more at home anywhere else in the entire temple. She enjoyed the soft breeze, and the presence of plantlife as she sat in the courtyard, staring up at the great tree that loomed over her. She could feel its life energy through the Force. As Master Nalaniel had told her, the force was a crucial part of all living things.

Over the past few months, Jaira had learned to attune and focus her senses, mediate conflict with focus and clarity, reach out through the Force to others, and even move objects without even touching them. Master Nalaniel, as a Sage Master, had a great deal to teach Jaira about the intricacies of the Force, that she suspected she might not learn from any other master.

More than just her knowledge however, Master Nalaniel was a kind, sweet, caring individual, and this above all else, is what drew Jaira to her. It sometimes felt like Nalaniel held something of a motherly affection towards Jaira, something she hadn’t known for years, ever since her parents had perished in an attack at the hands of the speartons about eight years ago.

Thrust into a different culture and strange environment, Master Nalaniel had made her feel welcomed and loved. The two had developed something of a bond over the past few months, and through that bond, Jaira felt her Master’s compassionate and loving nature, though she also sensed a great sadness within her. Master Nalaniel hadn’t brought it up, so Jaira chose not to intrude by asking, but if and when Master Nalaniel finally opened up, Jaira would be there for her.

Though Master Nalaniel did not utilize a lightsaber in combat, she was more than familiar enough with it to instruct Jaira in its usage. After studying the basics of Shii-Cho, Jaira had moved on to training in Niman, a form at which she was rather proficient. Jaira spent at least two hours a day practicing her usage of Niman. Sometimes she did so under the watchful eye of her master. Other times she practiced and dueled with some of the other Padawans.

Though her skills with a Lightsaber were impressive, as the apprentice of the greatest Sage Master in the entire Jedi Order, Jaira’s training had been mostly based around learning the intricacies of the Force. From the very beginning of her training, Jaira had learned to control and sharpen her mind through the disciplines of meditation. Her master had taught her various different forms of meditation during the past few months, teaching her a variety of different breathing techniques, positions, levels of consciousness, focusing strategies, and even sometimes incorporating the emotion of compassion into her thoughts occasionally as she meditated. Jaira also learned to extend her senses even further, increasing the range, magnitude, and precision of her senses, to the point at which she could even perceive individual molecules if she was deep enough in meditation.

If there was one thing Master Nalaniel had taught her in months of training, it was that the Force was her ally, and Jaira had learned to trust her senses and instincts that were born of the Force. Jaira learned to incorporate such senses into her decisions and focus. But that was not the extent of her training with the Force. Master Nalaniel had also taught her more direct applications of the Force, most notably, telekinesis.

Through the power of telekinesis, Jaira had learned to manipulate objects and mass around her with the power of the Force. It was perhaps one of the most awe inspiring powers of the Jedi. Often times, while meditating in the room of a thousand fountains, Master Nalaniel would have her reach out with the Force, and alter the flow of the water with her mind. From her master, Jaira had learned to utilize this power for a variety of functions, be it levitation, control and precision, and even in a combative setting, as Jaira had been trained to unleash sudden blasts of Force energy in the form of telekinetic bursts, if the situation called for it. Jaira had even successfully wobbled one of the great Muntuur Stones with this power, an achievement which brought great joy to her Master’s eyes, joy which Jaira was happy to bring her.

Jaira had also learned the early stages of a variety of other force powers, from the usage of tutaminus to absorb small amounts of energy, the basic Jedi mind trick to control the impulses of an undisciplined mind, and even small applications of the combustive power of flamusfracta. She had also learned a great deal about the Force ability known as Art of the Small, which allowed Jaira to shrink her presence in the Force to microscopic levels, also increasing the precision of her senses to that level, and allowing for a great degree of stealth in a practical situation if she needed it.

Most of Jaira’s training was either spent in the room of a thousand fountains learning to meditate and control her Force powers, or buried in the depths of the Jedi archives, absorbing knowledge on the Force and the Galaxy like a sponge. And every step of the way, Nalaniel was there to guide her and help her, teaching her to become a better Jedi and a better person.

Today, Master Nalaniel had taken her to the Jedi Temple courtyard as a treat. It was a small reward for the dedication and effort Jaira had shown in her training. So she and her master sat underneath the Emerald Mango Tree, enjoying its fruits and experiencing the beauty of nature.

Though Nalaniel had told her that she did not have to practice her meditation or Force abilities here, as this was a special reward for her service and that she could simply relax, Jaira could not help but reach out to the plant life around her. Jaira felt her senses bristle at the life energy of the plants all around her. She found the life energy of the plants invigorating, and breathed in deeply as she connected to the plants in the courtyard through the Force, her breathing becoming more relaxed, and her mind more serene and calm. A clarity the likes of which she had never known washed over her. Jaira gasped in amazement. She had marveled at the plant life in the Lightor gardens, but now that she had learned to touch the Force, plants had become something else entirely for her. Something far more precious and valuable. As Jaira had learned, the Force existed within all living things, and through nature, it existed in life purely and naturally, without the taint of passion and misdirected emotion.

“Your connection to the living Force is strong,” Nalaniel observed, a tone of surprise in her voice. “I have never felt you so calm or relaxed before.”

“As long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to nature,” Jaira explained. “But now that I know of the Force, everything seems so much more vivid and beautiful.”

Nalaniel smiled pleasantly as she observed Jaira. Jaira could feel a twinge of approval in her master, and that added to her comfort and happiness at that moment.

“You know…” Master Nalaniel began, “When you’re ready, I could teach you how to tap into the living Force within plants and animals.”

Excitement surged through Jaira as the offer was made. “Really?!” She exclaimed. Her master chuckled at her excitement.

“Of course,” Master Nalaniel replied. “I could probably begin teaching you the art of beast control tomorrow.”

Jaira was speechless, entranced by the moment, the environment, and the thought of learning to connect even more deeply to nature through the Force than she already had. “Thank you Master!” She exclaimed. “I really really appreciate this.”

“I know you do,” Nalaniel replied. “If this is where your interests and abilities truly lay, then I will do all I can to help you achieve your goals in this area. And after you advance far enough, I could even teach you the esoteric power known as Consitor Sato.”

“Consitor Sato?” Jaira asked.

“It’s more commonly known as plant surge,” Master Nalaniel explained, peaking Jaira’s interest. “By drawing upon the Living Force, a Jedi skilled in Consitor Sato can tap into the life energy of plants, and promote rapid growth or bend them to your will. In combat, a Jedi skilled with this power could ensnare an enemy in a nest of thorny vines. In peacetime, a Jedi could use this power to increase the growth and vitality of plants, and connect more deeply with the plant life around them, through the Force.”

“Patience,” Nalaniel added as Jaira’s excitement grew even further. “It is a highly advanced ability. Most lack the discipline for it until they are at least knights. Having just witnessed your natural connection to nature, I think you’ll be a natural at this ability. I can probably teach it to you after you construct your first lightsaber on Illum and fully master the art of beast control.”

“Thank you master,” Jaira said, leaning back on the bench, slipping back into a calm trance as she let the life energy of the plant life around her bristle against her own. Enthralled by the natural beauty of nature, and with her loving master, Jaira was truly happy as she experienced a form of transcendence. She wished this moment would never end.

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Fernin and Tormax activated their training lightsabers, the red blades sizzling to life as they circled each other. A small rivalry had developed between the two apprentices. As part of the same group of friends, Fernin and Tormax did not hold the same hate for each other that was usually present in such rivalries, though anger and hate were still a part of them. Though they may not have hated each other, anger and hate were their fuel, the driving forces behind their movements in combat as they tried to overcome each other. Like all Sith, Fernin and Tormax were fueled by passion.

Tormax leapt forward, his blade dancing and sizzling through the air as he rained an aggressive flurry of blows down upon Fernin. His blade flicked left and right, slipping into graceful but aggressive sequences as he tried to pierce Fernin’s guard, driving him back with the sheer number of strikes he levied against him. Fernin responded with deft parries, his blade splitting the air as he slapped each of his opponent’s strikes aside, before transitioning into forceful counterattack, bringing his blade down in a series of overhand chops.

Not as capable on the defense, Tormax staggered backwards behind the force of the first blow, but quickly adapted to the shift in the momentum of the fight. Despite its offensive viability, Ataru’s defensive sequences were somewhat lacking, so Tormax was either forced to evade the strikes with Ataru’s agile and acrobatic nature, or fall back on the basic defensive techniques belonging to Shii-Cho. He bounced from foot to foot, dodging and blocking Fernin’s strikes, calling upon his frustration to fuel his speed.

Fernin drove Tormax back, unleashing a series of vicious stabs and crosscuts at his opponent, the sheer power behind each strike fed by the power of Fernin’s own hate. Pressing his advantage, Fernin stepped forward as Tormax fell back, closing the distance between them ever so slightly, and placing more leverage behind each of his strikes.

Not ready to be undone by his lacking defense, Tormax danced around one of Fernin’s strikes, and calling upon his rage, lashed out with his blade at Fernin’s side twice in the blink of an eye. Taken aback by his opponent’s speed, Fernin leaped back a foot and swept his blade in a defensive arc, picking off both strikes in the air before they reached his flesh. Taking advantage of the sudden gap, Tormax leapt backwards into the air, twirling his body midair in a somersault before landing on his feet two meters away from Fernin. The Bladewrath Sith brought his blade back into an attack position, called the power of the Dark Side to him through his fury, and charged, transitioning into a lightning fast series of short stabs, an Ataru sequence known as “Saber Swarm.”

Fernin fell back desperately under the fury of Tormax’s assault, but then altered his strategy, shifting from a strategy dominated by overhead chops and tight blocks, to one of more broad swipes of his blade, both catching several or Tormax’s strikes with his own blade, and retaliating in kind with brute force. Tormax began to leap left and right, cartwheeling or flipping every now and then, trying to get a new and unexpected angle of attack over Fernin. Fernin, on the other hand, stayed in a relatively grounded position, his stance widened to provide more balance and generate more force behind his blows.

The two Sith apprentices were engaged in a deadly offensive against each other. Tormax launched himself into a fury driven frenzy, while Fernin fought back with deft parries and power blows fueled by his hatred. Tormax flipped and leaped around Fernin, bouncing from one foot to the other while Fernin stayed grounded, pivoting to meet Tormax at whatever angle he attacked from. Tormax struck with blindingly fast speed, while Fernin fought back with sheer overwhelming strength. The two were indeed, rather evenly matched. Indeed, the proportion of wins and losses between the two Apprentices in these contests were about dead even, with both Fernin and Tormax sure to claim that they had won more.

All of this, Shorya had been able to ascertain, observing the duel just outside of the dueling ring. The techniques and strategies Shorya had been able to observe with her eyes, but the emotions, the passion, and their use of the Force to bolster their own capabilities? That had required a much deeper level of observation than was possible with her eyes. Such a thing could only be accomplished with the power of the Force.

Out of herself, Tormax, Fernin, and, of course, Dylan, Shorya was the least impressive duelist. Tormax and Fernin immediately thrust themselves into the thrall of Force augmented physical combat, embracing the lightsaber as well as the invigorating force augmentation that stemmed from a Sith’s passion. They were warriors, Shorya realized, channeling the power of the Dark Side through their bodies to attain physical victory over those who opposed them. Shorya herself preferred the Force’s more direct and intricate manifestations. While Fernin and Tormax spent their time calling upon their rage to fuel their bodies, Shorya preferred to more directly tap into the power in the Force. While one of them would prefer to tear an obstacle down with their fists or blades, Shorya preferred to bring it down without even touching it, lashing out with the power of the Dark Side, and directly affecting the world around her with her will.

That wasn’t to say Shorya was a bad duelist however, just that physical combat wasn’t the primary focus of her abilities. Shorya was in fact, easily among the greater duelists in the Prime Academy. The blade instructor Darth Venshek had complimented her on her skillful use of Niman once or twice, just as the force instructors had commented on the strength which with Fernin and Tormax wielded telekinesis. Their strength with that power wasn’t any more up to par with Shorya’s then her lightsaber skills were with theirs however. Their talents with the Force's destructive potential were impressive, but physical combat was their first and foremost focus, just as the Force was Shorya’s. Dylan however, seemed to absolutely and utterly thrive in both areas.

Unlike the three of them, Shorya had observed Dylan take up both disciplines with a certain level of passion and determination. Ever since he had come to Korriban, Dylan had seemingly been filled with a sense of purpose, and a desire to achieve greater power. Shorya saw it in his eyes every time he bested an opponent in the dueling ring, or hurled a great mass a few meters with telekinesis. She had seen him delve into the depths of his own passion, emerging with strength and power he had never wielded before in his life. The Dark Side was behind Dylan in his pursuits of both physical, and metaphysical power, that much was clear. Somehow, Dylan had managed to balance both of these areas, physical combat and force powers, and excel in both. Occasionally, Shorya could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy for his power. It was nothing however, next to the raw envy of both Fernin and Tormax as they watched Dylan’s power grow. She was however, pleased to see her friend achieving his goals, just as he smiled warmly in approval whenever she did something impressive with the Force, or even with her blade.

While Fernin and Tormax often looked down upon her for her less developed abilities in physical combat, Shorya had been developing her talents in another direction. Whenever she had the chance, Shorya would drop to a knee and begin to meditate, calling the Dark Side into her mind, and mediating her passion. She would call forth her anger, her hatred, and her fury. These feelings stemmed from a number of sources. Frustration at her own inadequacies, anger directed at the other Apprentices who were little more than obstacles to her, and hatred of Arthur, for what he had done to Dylan. These feelings swirled around in her mind whenever she meditated, threatening to consume her. Slowly, she had begun to impose her will on this passion, directing and controlling it. She was always careful about the amount of passion she let fill her. She always made sure she had complete and utter control over the depth of emotion she had called forth before going deeper. She had hatred and fury, just as the other apprentices did. But she did not unleash them in only a partially controllable storm of rage like the others did. She guided the currents of her mind, focusing them immensely until they were sharpened like the blade of a knife, a scalpel perhaps, ready to carve through her enemies, and slice deeper into the mysteries of the Dark Side.

Every waking moment, Shorya made it a point to extend her senses outward, feeling the world around her. Over time her senses had grown more attuned and accurate, allowing her to discern presences at an almost subconscious level, sense the feelings of others, and get the occasional hint at what they were going to do next, or even what their intentions were. But Shorya’s practice of the Force did not merely extend to her senses. Like within her own mind, Shorya frequently practiced imposing her will on the world around her. She frequently practiced manipulating objects with her mind, through the Force power known as telekinesis. She would practice on whatever was available to her. Often times when she walked into a room, she would lift or wobble as many of the loose items scattered about as she could, seeing how many she could control and keep track of in her mind at once. That number was steadily growing as her power and control grew more advanced. She also began to practice moving greater and greater quantities of mass with this power, and while she couldn’t manipulate as much weight as Dylan could, she did so with more precision. Some objects, Shorya would try applying multiple telekinetic forces on. Sometimes she’d apply various points of pressure along the outside of an object, crushing and squeezing it together. Other times, she pulled them apart.

There was another area of the Force that intrigued her. If she could feel and perceive objects with her senses and manipulate the power of Telekinesis, what prevented her from manipulating the minds of others with the Force? She could sense them through the Force after all. It would only make sense that she would be capable of controlling them, with the proper amount of willpower and Force power of course. To test her theory, Shorya pressed her will into the subconscious minds of those around her every so often. Sometimes, when the other Apprentices were busy watching a lightsaber duel, she would focus on one of them and send an unconscious command from her thoughts, into their subconscious, guiding them with her will. None of these commands were overtly obvious, suspicious, or even practical. Most of the time, she’d simply make them twitch or turn their heads. She knew that if she tried to outright bend a fellow apprentice to her will, her attempt would be laughably pathetic. But she could affect them in subtle and insignificant ways such as this, and it brought a triumphant smile to her lips every single time she did so.

Shorya turned her attention back to the duel in front of her. Fernin and Tormax were still going at it hard, each attempting to get the best of the other. Shorya reached out with her senses, feeling the minds of both combatants. Under normal circumstances they may have noticed, but as it was, their attention was entirely on each other. Shorya called upon her emotions, drawing feelings of anger and hate to the forefront of her mind. With great focus and willpower, Shorya channeled these feelings into something greater, focusing them in preparation for what she was about to do.

Shorya waited until Tormax was in the middle of an acrobatic maneuver, sailing over Fernin’s head. Just as he was about to land, Shorya reached into his subconscious, and altered his focus, robbing him of a graceful landing. He staggered like a drunken rancor as he tried to regain his balance, Fernin launching himself at him in a vicious assault. But when Fernin should’ve scored a victory blow, due to Tormax’s unbalance, Shorya reached out into Fernin’s mind, subtly redirecting the control over his arm, causing his blade to miss Tormax’s body awkwardly.

Tormax was able to regain his footing as the two flew at each other again. Tormax flew into an elaborate and fast based attack sequence, while Fernin fought back with thrusts and power blows. Shorya reached out to them and disrupted Tormax’s focus with slight and subtle mental nudges, throwing the intricacies of his elaborate bladework into disarray. Fernin, she disrupted his sense of balance and control over the momentum of his own blade, causing him to overextend himself far more often than he should have. The result was an amusing and awkward offensive contest as both Tormax and Fernin struck at each other with clumsy and unbalanced assaults.

Hmmm… Shorya thought to herself. I think I’ll let Fernin win today. As their attacks continued to collide awkwardly, Shorya reached out into Tormax’s mind, causing him to fail in one of his evasive maneuvers as Fernin’s blade struck him in the side. She could feel the confusion of both apprentices as they deactivated their lightsabers, both wondering why they had made so many mistakes. Shorya smiled inwardly, the confusion of her friends amusing her. This was true power, Shorya thought to herself. This was the Force as it was meant to be used. Nobody else was observing, as this was not an in class sparring match, this was done on their own free time.

In front of the other apprentices, Shorya, Dylan, Tormax, and Fernin preferred not to present themselves as divided to the other students. Though they still had internal rivalries, the four of them were friends, and as friends, they would stand together to meet the challenges of the other apprentices. They were there for each other for support and protection. Their group friendship was a single source of unity for them in a competition driven environment, and Shorya was grateful for it. Between her advanced Force abilities, Tormax and Fernin’s sophisticated beadwork, and Dylan’s success and passion in everything he did with the Force, the four of them could handle any challenge that came their way. Quickly, Shorya and her friends were ascending to the top of their classes. Shorya knew it was only a matter of time until they were promoted from Apprentices to Acolytes. She could hardly wait for that day.

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“Again,” Amoye Ilu, greatest blademaster in the entire Jedi Order, ordered.

Terro raced forward, and unleashed a series of quick strikes with his training lightsaber against his master. He watched as Master Ilu casually deflected each strike with the flattened amethyst blade of his own lightsaber before unleashing a few counterattacks. Though his master was greatly holding back, and was executing these moves at a reduced pace, Terro still had difficulty defending against them. He was running what were called velocities, quick sequences of moves derived from Shii-Cho used as a training regimen.

Terro longed to study the more advanced forms of lightsaber combat, like his friends Arthur and Jaira with their training in Soresu and Niman respectively. Master Ilu however, wouldn’t let Terro study the more advanced forms of lightsaber combat until he was satisfied Terro had mastered Shii-Cho.

Much of Terro’s training had focused on control and self discipline. Master Ilu had a hard time allowing him to advance his training, both in his force abilities and lightsaber techniques, until he was certain Terro had mastery over these basic principles and abilities. And Amoye Ilu would never be satisfied until Terro could perform Faalo’s first cadence without error, and perform the sevinte cadence, with his blade coming within an inch of his opponent, but not making contact.

“Again.”

Terro launched himself into another offensive sequence, but this time Amoye switched rapidly between very casually attacking Terro and very casually defending himself, forcing Terro to switch between offense and defense on a whim, and greatly unbalancing him. Stepping forward, Master Ilu flicked his violet blade a centimeter away from Terro’s face, causing him to snap his head back and, already off balance, topple backwards onto the floor behind him. Terro quickly jumped back up to his feet, feelings of shame coursing through him.

“Your skills are improving…” Master Ilu said, much to Terro’s confusion.

“But you beat me so easily and without even trying?!” Terro exclaimed, confused.

“I’m the top blademaster in the Jedi Order,” Amoye Ilu explained. “If I couldn’t casually outduel every padawan in the Jedi Temple, I wouldn’t be fit for my position.”

Terro pondered his master’s words for a few moments before realizing he was right. It would be a mistake of his to judge his own abilities based on that of his master’s, especially when his master was the greatest duelist in the Galaxy.

“For the remainder of the day, I will let you practice your lightsaber skills by sparring with the other Padawans,” Master Ilu explained. “Tomorrow, I’ll have you prepare for the first of Faalo’s cadences. If you try hard enough, I think you may be able to get it down within the next month.”

Terro marveled at the idea of successfully performing Faalo’s first cadence correctly. Faalo’s first cadence consisted of using nine candles spread out in a semicircle in front of the duelist, with 190 ball bearings placed above the candles. The person performing the cadence was required to strike each ball bearing one by one, without striking the candles below. Performed correctly, the entire cadence was expected to take an hour to complete.

On his first day of training, Amoye Ilu had demonstrated Faalo’s fourth cadence, which made use of 360 candles at one degree intervals, but made no use of ball bearings, instead requiring the duelist to strike the candles in a sequence determined by a complex mathematical formula. The entire sequence was expected to take three hours to complete, but Amoye Ilu had somehow managed to complete it in ten minutes, blindfolded.

About two months into his training, Terro had attempted Faalo’s first cadence for the very first time. The exercise ended with Terro covered in sweat and melted candle wax, with half of the candles completely destroyed and a third of the ball bearings still standing. Since then however, Terro had improved. Since then, Terro had gained a greater control over his body and blade, as well as becoming more proficient at calling upon the power of the Force to aid his motions and movements.

Terro bowed to his master before exiting the training room, and heading to another, meeting up with fellow Padawan Setawin. Setawin was a Gamorrean boy, around the same age as Terro. “Terro!” he squealed, his eyes lighting up as he saw him.

“Hello Setawin,” Terro replied grinning. “My master told me to practice dueling with another Padawan. Would you like to duel with me?”

“Terro,” the bulky green Padawan said as he pulled out a training lightsaber and activated it’s green blade. “It would be my genuine pleasure.”

Terro grinned, activating a green training lightsaber blade of his own before squaring off against the burly Gamorrean. Both opponents stood a few feet away from each other, Setawin in a Djem So opening stance, and Terro in a Shii-Cho opening stance.

“Your master still want you to use Form I?” Setawin asked, astonished.

“Yes!” Terro sighed exasperatedly.

“That’s rough,” Setawin responded.

The two friends then engaged each other in lightsaber combat, Setawin holding his lightsaber handle at either end, to work up greater leverage as he utilized the Djem So power blows. Terro on the other hand struck with a simplicity, dueling with a series of wide slashes and short offensive sequences.

The entire training room was lit up by the green of Terro and Setawin’s training blades as they dueled each other. Unfortunately for Terro, he was placed at a disadvantage, due to the fact that Form I Shii-Cho was not well specialized for one on one combat. Diem So on the other hand, was.This left Terro at a rather significant disadvantage when facing Setawin, and this was one of the many reasons why he desperately wished to advance beyond Shii-Cho.

The two apprentices dueled for hours, with Setawin winning a few duels, and Terro winning the majority. The two congratulated each other on their technique after every duel, and tried to give each other advice on how to improve their technique, though admittedly neither realized they wouldn’t be of much help, given that their opponent had mastered their form beyond the extent to which the other person was familiar with it. After their training was finished, the two young apprentices exited the training room, and headed off towards the mess hall for a break, and hopefully lunch. Terro was starving, and based on the growling of the Gamorrean, so was Setawin. And so with that, the two apprentices walked with each other to the mess hall, seeking to meet up with Arthur, Jaira, and two other apprentices they had grown rather close with.

With any luck, soon Terro would successfully perform the cadences and be allowed to practice the more advanced forms, Djem So caught his eye. Also with any luck, Terro and his friends would be traveling to Illum very soon to construct their own lightsabers. Much like the prospect of moving onto the more advanced forms, the idea of going to Illum and making his own lightsaber was intoxicating to him, and he could hardly wait for that day, but with Amoye Ilu as his master, he would have to.